Readers and Experts Pick The Olympic Triathlon Winners

Nothing is a sure bet in sports—particularly when the athletes are stuck in dystopian living conditions a year later than they thought they’d be competing. While there are sure to be some surprises, we’ve done the legwork to help you, the fans, know who to watch carefully when the melee of the swim is over and things begin sorting themselves out on the streets of Tokyo this weekend. To help, we also asked you who you think will be the Olympic triathlon winners of the men’s, women’s, and mixed relay events.

To keep things interesting, we’ve separated the data into two graphics: The first is a sample of our online readers who responded to a multiple-choice question about who would be the Olympic triathlon winner in each event; the second (at the bottom) shows the results of a poll we took that included only triathlon experts, like journalists, industry insiders, and others who make a living in the sport of tri. In between, we broke out a few of our readers’ top picks and gave them a chance to make the cases for their favorites.

And if this isn’t enough, be sure to check out our guide on how to watch the Olympic triathlon events, deep dives on what to look out for, and exclusive, members-only coverage of the Olympics from inside Japan that can’t be found anywhere else. Also be sure to follow us on social media for live coverage and check back at Triathlete.com for post-race results and members-only analysis.

RELATED: Triathlete’s Guide to The Olympics

Readers Pick the Olympic Triathlon Winners

RELATED: Your Guide to the Tokyo Olympic Men’s Contenders

RELATED: Your Guide to the Tokyo Olympic Women’s Contenders

I think and hope Grace Norman will take home the gold for the PTS5 paratriathlon category. Not only does Norman represent USA, but she embodies triumph and authenticity as an athlete. Norman is a humble athlete who seems to not only advocate for herself but is representing our class. Ten years ago, I would’ve never imagine myself becoming a paratriathlete in the U.S. I only knew triathlon and strived to go compete with abled-bodied athletes. I am cheering Grace on!

I may be biased but I am hoping for USA to win the mixed relay. USA has become more progressive in inclusion. I think if we won, we could set really high standards for the world to witness.
USA always 🇺🇸

Leah K.
PTS5 Paratriathlon Category
Spokane, WA

Related: Profile: Grace Norman’s Paralympic Quest for More

I’m looking for Kevin McDowell and Katie Zaferes as the individual winners. While all of the Olympians have what it takes to win, these two stand out to me. They are not only fast, but motivated, focused, and disciplined when racing. USA all the way for the mixed relay—so much talent and potential!

Donica W.
40-44 AG
South Georgia

I think Alex Yee will win the men’s event. He is a young up-and-comer peaking at the right time coming into the event off of a win at Leeds. I think Flora Duffy will win the women’s event. She has been plagued with injuries over the past couple of seasons but is a true veteran and is rounding into form. I think Great Britain will win gold in the mixed relay event: How can you bet against a team with both Brownlee and Yee.

Nick A.
25-29 AG
Indianapolis, IN

In the men’s race, I think Alex Yee from Great Britain will be peaking at just the right time, but it’s going to be a pretty wild race, I imagine. My money’s on Flora Duffy in the women’s race. Her cycling this year has usually been head and shoulders above, and if it’s a breakaway on the bike, she can get into the lead.

For the mixed relay, I think the United States has the most balance between the men and the women, but I think France, Great Britain, and Australia will be tough to beat.

Looking forward to them all!

Andrew S.
35-39 AG
Southern California

Experts Pick the Olympic Triathlon Winners